Opponents of legalizing horse slaughter facilities in Oklahoma rallied Sunday at a ranch in Oklahoma City and spoke out against the proposed legislation at a news conference, according to a report in The Oklahoman.

There are currently two measures in front of the Oklahoma legislature regarding horse slaughter – House Bill 1999, which would allow horse slaughter, but would keep an existing ban on the sale of horse meat for consumption, and Senate Bill 375, which would revoke a 1963 law that bans the sale of horse meat for consumption.

House Bill 1999 is expected to be up for a vote in the Senate early this week, while the Oklahoma House of Representatives is expected to discuss Senate Bill 375 on Wednesday.

Those at the rally released poll results showing that the majority of Oklahomans oppose both measures that are currently in front of the legislature, according to the article. Paula Bacon attended the rally and spoke out against the proposed bills.

Bacon served as mayor of Kaufman, Texas, when a horse processing plant was operating in her community. She spoke about the possible environmental dangers of such a facility and the stigma that the state could face if a similar plant operated in Oklahoma.

“It stigmatizes your community,” she said. “Good development does not want to come there.”

Paula Bacon is right. Horse slaughtering does stigmatize a community and a state. I try to envision an Intel, Proctor and Gamble or other major corporation consider investing in a facility in a state that allows horse slaughtering. No. I can’t. These kinds of businesses are forward-thinking and progressive. Why would any of them want to move to a location that, also, would mean moving back in time to the Middle Ages? And, their stockholders would also have some grave reservations about any decision to do so. I would hope that, overwhelmingly, the majority of Oklahomans would also not want to be part of this kind of barbaric operations.

swiss305

What keeps coming across in these attempts to open new slaughter plants is the apparent deliberate ignorance of the slaughter process on the part of legislators. How else could they make statements such as “horses will be better off” and “the process is completely humane?” No rational person who knows what goes on in a slaughter plant could promote it as “humane” or a better option for the horses than euthanasia by injection. They want to say that slaughter in this country is better than what occurs in Mexico or Canada. They can’t even substantiate that claim as they appear to be completely ignorant on the issue. NOTHING is behind the push for horse slaughter but money, never consideration for the animals. They really need to stop spouting that obvious b.s. They might regain a modicum of credibility.

R.A.C.E. Fund, Imc.

If
anyone knows the horrors of horse slaughter and a horse slaughter
plant, the atrocities it brings to a community, it is Mayor Paula Bacon
of Kauffman, TX. Also, John Murrell has been an avid advocate for the
horses. As a thoroughbred owner, he has stood up and spoken out against
the evil practices of horse slaughter. Bravo to Paula Bacon, Mr Murrell
and the others that joined them in OKC as a voice for the horses. As an organization that has saved many thoroughbreds from going to slaughter, we also know and have witnessed the cruelty that horses endure in the slaughter pipeline. It is not humane.

Reality Check

The ignorance is shown in the OK governor’s comments regarding having a “humane” way to deal with old and abandoned horses. Kill buyers are looking for healthy horses in good weight to fat. They are no different than the cattle buyers. SMH, yet again.

harry

In several weeks a MODERN slaughter house will begin operation in Roswell,New Mexico. The owners are proud when they say they will slaughter 100 horses per day and that will increase. There was opposition but the New Mexico Courts ruled in favor of the slaughter house. Now Oklahoma legislature seems to be on the same path as New Mexico. Where is the opposition from race tracks in Oklahoma???? I have not seen any!!! Where was the opposition in New Mexico from owners of race tracks in that state??? Any state that wants to legalize slaughter houses for horses must be boycotted by the racing industry. Where is the Jockey Club opposition?? No opposition means they must agree with this inhumane and barbaric torture to horses and its slow slow death it possesses.I will never watch or wager on ANY NEW MEXICO RACING EVER AGAIN.Its time for anybody who really cares about horse racing and the horses we all love to stand up and so NO NEVER..